A wide variety of thin metal film patterns are known and used in a variety of different applications. Metal films are often used for either their decorative and aesthetic characteristics, including specular reflectance, or their ability to conduct electricity. Examples of decorative uses include the use of metallic patterns upon wallpaper, greeting cards, labels, business cards, book covers, name plates, automobiles, bicycles, and the like. An example of the use of thin metal film images for their electrical conductivity is printed circuit boards. Detailed patterns of electrically conductive metal films are used to make flexible printed circuits used in computer applications and the like. Patterns used for such flexible conductive circuits are often extremely detailed with up to 100 individual and separate lines of metal per cm.
Metallic patterns can also be used to control static electricity and protect against electromagnetic radiation while permitting substantial portions of visible light to pass therethrough. This allows the pattern to protect an article surrounded thereby from electromagnetic radiation and static electricity while permitting viewing of the article through the pattern.
For many of these end uses, it is desirable to be able to transfer the metal image or pattern from a carrier substrate or the like to its ultimate position upon a substrate. For example, it may be desirable to transfer a pattern onto an automobile tail light or onto a greeting card by simply pressing a carrier substrate containing the image onto the tail light or greeting card and then removing the carrier substrate. Likewise, it may be desirable to transfer such a metal image to a package to protect the contents of the package from static electricity.
Accordingly, there is a need for a quick and simple method of transferring a metal pattern or image, preferably of fine detail, to a transfer substrate. Likewise, a need also exists for a metal image or pattern transfer sheet or tape which can quickly and easily transfer a metal pattern or image from the tape or sheet to a transfer substrate.
There is also a need for a conductive metal film substrate composite that has an embossed surface and contains metal film only within the recessed, grooves of the embossed surface. Such a composite can be used to make containers that can protect a component from static electricity without crayoning. Crayon, as used herein, refers to the undesired transfer of conductive material to an electronic component, such as from the above-referenced container to a component stored therein.
A need also exists for a method of forming a pattern of multilayered inorganic films on a substrate that does not involve etching and can be carried out at high production rates.